User created tags for online social networking

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a social networking system and method by which customized tags can be created by a registered user in an online social networking environment and distributed to facilitate social networking. The tags represent personal characteristics and preferences associated with users of the online social networking environment. A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided in the online social networking website that enables a specific user to create and customize tags. Tags can be embeddable in that a user can insert the tag in a website GUI for display. Also, tags may have embedded content, e.g. a photo, a song, a profile page location, etc and may be sponsored or traded in the social networking website. Also a skin that shows the personal profile page GUI style may be customized, sponsored, or traded.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/549,105, filed Jul. 13, 2012, entitled “User Created Tags for Online Social Networking” by Greg Tseng and Johann Schleier-Smith, which is a reissue application for commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,756,926, issued from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/422,155, filed on Apr. 10, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/829,719, filed Jul. 27, 2007, entitled “User Created Tags for Online Social Networking” by Greg Tseng and Johann Schleier-Smith, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/838,459, filed Aug. 16, 2006, entitled “User Created Tags For Online Social Networking” by Greg Tseng and Johann Schleier-Smith, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD

The present invention relates to online social networking, and facilitates online social networking via tagging schemes and tags that represent personal characteristics and preferences.

BACKGROUND

The Internet has spawned a host of busy social networking platforms. The typical online social networking website graphic user interface (GUI) lacked the sophistication to convey personal characteristics in a movable fashion. The typical social networking website GUI has a personal profile page with personal information and interests of a user, and is used to browse the social network member's information and contacts. Another user can initiate communication by leaving messages or comments.

SUMMARY

The invention includes a social networking method for creating customized tags. The method provides an online social networking environment that supports tags representing personal characteristics and preferences associated with users of the online social networking environment. A user can open a GUI that enables the user to create and customize tags.

An embodiment of the present invention teaches an Internet website user interface that allows a registered user to choose between predefined tags or create customized tags. Once a user chooses to create customized tags, the application allows a user to select a name and create a graphic icon by uploading, linking to a URL, using a template, or drawing. After the tag is created, the user can store the tag data.

A tag can be embeddable in that a user can insert the embeddable tag in a website GUI for display, including other social networking websites. Also, a user can embed in tags desired contents, e.g. a photo, a song, a location (profile page), a shout-out, an expression of feeling, tags, presents, etc. The recipient can click the embedded tags to see the photo, play the song, go to the profile page, or chat, etc.

To facilitate advertising in an online social networking environment and provide sponsorship of the online social networking, sponsored tags may be used by users or sponsors of a social network website. Sponsored tags represent a product, a brand, a trademark, or a generic icon of a sponsor.

To facilitate the management of the online social network, a buddy list or tag team list as well as external distribution list may be used for the purpose of socialization, contact, or distribution of tags.

A user of the online social network may use a tag Container that conveniently stores and displays the user's tags, which are created, selected, or received by the user. Tag trading statistics of each user may be stored for history tracking.

To provide a customized profile page of a user in the online social networking website, a customized skin that shows personal style of the profile page may be also created, sponsored or traded in the social networking environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a representative method flowchart featuring the steps of creating user defined tags.

FIG. 2 is a representative method flowchart featuring the steps of creating sponsored tags.

FIG. 3 is a representative method flowchart featuring the steps of creating embedded tags.

FIG. 4 is a representative graphic user interface (GUI) that allows a registered user to log in or a new user to register in the social networking website.

FIG. 5 is a representative GUI after a registered user has logged in to provide a starting point to utilize the social networking website's featured functions.

FIG. 6 is a representative GUI of a registered user's profile page, which enables the user to work with tags, invite friends, create teams, and other social networking tasks.

FIG. 7 is a representative GUI of another registered user's page where a user can invite to his team and send or request tags.

FIG. 8 is a representative GUI displaying predefined tags available to send to another registered user.

FIG. 9 is a representative GUI showing a registered user's “My Page” with tags received from another user.

FIG. 10 is a representative structure of an embeddable tag.

FIG. 11 is a representative structure of an embedded tag.

FIG. 12 is a representative interaction diagram for a tag market.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An invention is disclosed for a system and method for creating customized tags that represent personal characteristics and preferences, by users of a social network website, to facilitate online social networking. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.

Briefly stated, an embodiment of the invention is related to a social networking system and method by which customized tags can be created by a registered user in an online social networking environment and distributed to facilitate social networking. The tags represent personal characteristics and preferences associated with users of the online social networking environment. By utilizing a computer or graphic user interface (GUI) that enables a specific user to create and customize tags, the user can create a specific tag according to instructions from the specific user and make the specific tag available for use by the specific user. The steps of allowing the user to create the customized tags may include defining the tag parameters, e.g. a name, a graphic icon, and a category, etc.

The website www.tagged.com provides an interactive social experience for teens. It's a place to meet new people, let people know what a person is all about, and make new friends. Once a person registers, he can fill out his profile and invite all of his friends to join his tag Team. The user can continue to add people to his team, see who's in other people's tag teams, and check out other people's profiles by clicking on their names.

Tags represent who the user is. For example, if the user is a great athlete, she can select a Sports tag, or if a dancer or a writer, select the Arts tag. A user can give her friends tags (like “Best Friend,” etc.) to let them know what she thinks about them. If the user wants to nudge his friends to give him tags, he can ask them by going to his tag Team page and clicking the hand icon next to each person on his team to ask for tags.

Tags can be created by the user via the provider's user interface by defining various tag parameters, e.g. name, graphic icon, etc. This invention discloses a system and method for creating customized tags that represents personal characteristics and preferences, by users of a social network website, to facilitate online social networking, as well as advertisement method in the online social networking environment by using sponsored tags.

Tags can be embeddable in that they could be inserted in a website GUI for display by a user. Also, tags may have embedded contents, e.g. a photo, a song, a location of a profile page, a shout out, an expression of feelings, tags, or presents. Also, tags can be traded or sponsored in the social networking environment by users of the social network, the creators of tags, and sponsors.

FIG. 1 is a representative method flowchart featuring the steps of creating user defined tags. A registered user of an online social network can Log In 102, and choose one of the options available from the online social networking provider's GUI 104. In one embodiment, the user can request to create tags 106, or request to display predefined tags 108, or request other tasks 110. After the user opts to create customized tags 112, a provider GUI enables the user to create customized tags by defining the tag parameters 118, e.g. a name, a graphic icon, a category, etc. Once the customized tags are defined, the tag data can be stored and associated with the creator (user) 120 for future use. If the user instead chooses to display the list of tag library 114, the provider GUI shows predefined tags for the user to browse. The user can select tags among the predefined tags displayed 122, or opt to create customized tags 112 if he does not want to use the predefined tags. If the user has chosen to request other tasks 110 from the provider GUI 104, he can perform the tasks 116 and end the session 124.

FIG. 2 is a representative method flowchart featuring the steps of creating sponsored tags. A registered user of an online social network can Log In 202, and choose one of the options available from the online social networking provider's GUI 204. In one embodiment, the user can request to create customized sponsored tags 206, or request to display predefined sponsored tags 208, or request other tasks 210. After the user opts to create customized sponsored tags 212, a provider GUI enables the user to create sponsored tags by defining the tag parameters 218, e.g. a name, a graphic icon, a category, etc. Once the sponsored tags are defined, the sponsored tag data can be stored and associated wit the creator (user) 220 for future use. After the tag data is stored, the user can select sponsored tag options, e.g. auction, price, time period, etc 224. If the user instead chooses to display the list of sponsored tag library 214, the provider GUI shows predefined sponsored tags for the user to browse. The user can select sponsored tags among the predefined sponsored tags displayed 222, or opt to create customized sponsored tags 212 if he does not want to use the predefined sponsored tags. If the user select predefined sponsored tags 222, he can select the sponsored tag options, e.g. auction, price, time period, etc. 224. If the user has chosen to request other tasks 210 from the provider GUI 204, he can perform the tasks 216 and end the session 226.

FIG. 3 is a representative method flowchart featuring the steps of creating embedded tags. A registered user of an online social network can Log In 302, and choose one of the options available from the online social networking provider's GUI 304. In one embodiment, the user can request to create embedded tags 306, or request to display predefined embedded tags 308, or request other tasks 310. After the user opts to create customized embedded tags 312, a provider GUI enables the user to create customized embedded tags by defining the tag parameters 318, e.g. a name, a graphic icon, embedded content, a category, etc. Once the customized embedded tags are defined, the tag data can be associated wit the creator (user) 320 for future use. After the tag data is stored, the user can select embedded tag options, e.g. recipient list, buddy list, external distribution, a category, etc 324. If the user instead chooses to display the list of embedded tag library 314, the provider GUI shows predefined embedded tags for the user to browse. The user can select embedded tags among the predefined embedded tags displayed 322, or opt to create customized embedded tags 312 if he does not want to use the predefined tags. If the user select predefined embedded tags 322, he can select the embedded tag options, e.g. recipient list, buddy list, external distribution, a category, etc 324. If the user has chosen to request other tasks 310 from the provider GUI 304, he can perform the tasks 316 and end the session 324.

FIG. 4 illustrates a representative provider GUI 400 of the online social networking website that allows a registered user to Sign In (or Log In) 402 or a new user to register 404 in the social networking website. Also it shows sample tags that are available on the website 406. In one embodiment, a registered user can type in the email address and password in the Sign In box 402 to log in. The GUI 400 also shows Featured Users 408 with a photo and user name with age, to facilitate social networking with them.

FIG. 5 is a representative GUI 500 of the online social networking website, after a registered user 502 has logged in. GUI 500 provides a starting point to utilize the social networking website's featured functions, including the menu bar 504. The user 502 can, for example, Invite Friends, Search registered users to socialize with, or get involved other social activities (chat, quizzes, contests, etc).

FIG. 6 illustrates a GUI 600 provided to a user 602. The social networking GUI 600 is a representative of a user's profile page that enables the user 602 to work with tags, invite friends, create teams, and accomplish other social networking tasks as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The GUI 600 includes a statistics window 604 that allows the user to review and edit personal statistics. The GUI 600 may also include the user's photos 606. The tag 606 represents personal characteristics and preferences. The GUI 600 further includes a tag team window 608, a ‘friends’ management window 610, and a URL management window 612. The personal profile page GUI 600 may be customized to show personal style, and also traded or sponsored in the social networking environment.

FIG. 7 is a representative GUI 700 of another registered user's page that can be reached by searching the registered user data base and choosing the person's page. A user can invite the person 702 to his team by tagging him 704, give tags 706, or ask for tags 708. The page also shows the person's statistics 710.

FIG. 8 is a representative GUI 800 displaying predefined tags 804 available to send to another registered user 802. The person sending tags can select as many tags as wished from the available tags 804 that best reflect the relationship or what the sender think best describes the recipient.

FIG. 9 illustrates a representative GUI 900 showing a registered user's page after the user received tags 902 from another user 904.

FIG. 10 is the representative structure of embeddable tag, including encoded content 1000, personal characteristics 1002, and other executable instructions 1004.

FIG. 11 shows a representative embedded tag structure 1100. An embedded tag represents personal preferences and characteristics 1102 e.g. by texts, a graphical icon, etc. Also, a tag can have embedded contents 1104, e.g. a photo, a song, a location of a profile page, a shout out, an expression of feelings, tags, or presents, etc. Other executable instructions 1106, e.g. to see the photo, play the song, go to the profile page, play a movie, or chat, etc. can be carried by a tag. A tag may be customized, traded, or sponsored in the social networking environment.

FIG. 12 illustrates the representative interaction of a tag market 1200. The users of the online social networking website 1202, creators of customized tags 1206, and sponsors 1204 interact in the tag market 1200 to buy, sell, or exchange tags.

The algorithms and software presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will appear from other portions of this description. In addition, the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language, and various embodiments may thus be implemented using a variety of programming languages.

The techniques introduced above can be implemented by using programmable circuitry programmed by software and/or firmware, or by using special-purpose hardwired circuitry, or by using a combination of such embodiments. Special-purpose hardwired circuitry may be in the form of, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. The systems corresponding to the methods explained above may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise a general purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer.

Software or firmware to implement the techniques introduced here may be stored on a machine-readable medium and may be executed by one or more general-purpose or special-purpose programmable microprocessors. A “machine-readable medium”, as the term is used herein, includes any mechanism that can store information in a form accessible by a machine (a machine may be, for example, a computer, network device, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), manufacturing tool, any device with one or more processors, etc.). For example, a machine-accessible medium includes recordable/non-recordable media (e.g., read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; etc.), etc

In addition to the above mentioned examples, various other modifications and alterations of the invention may be made without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure is not to be considered as limiting and the appended claims are to be interpreted as encompassing the true spirit and the entire scope of the invention. 

It is claimed:
 1. A method, comprising: establishing an online networking environment to enable a plurality of users to engage in an online networking activity; providing, by a server, a user interface in the online networking environment to enable a first user of the networking activity to: select a first tag to convey to a second user, the first tag representing a trait of the second user as attributed by the first user.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the first tag is provided to the second user to enable the second user to add the first tag to a tag collection.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first tag is displayed in a profile page associated with the second user subsequent to the second user accepting the first tag.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user selects the first tag from a first tag repository, wherein the first tag repository includes a plurality of tags maintained by an operator of the online networking environment.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing a profile page for each user of the online networking environment, the profile page enabling each user to display tags received from other users.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user selects the first tag from a second tag repository.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second tag repository includes a plurality of tags associated with the first user; wherein the second tag repository further includes customized tags created by the first user.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second tag repository further includes tags conveyed to the first user by other users of the online networking environment.
 9. The method of claim 4, wherein in the first tag repository, the plurality of tags are created by the operator.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tag repository includes tags contributed by users of the online networking environment.
 11. The method of claim 6, wherein the second tag repository includes sponsored tags, wherein, each sponsored tag is contributed by a specific sponsor for marketing a product or service.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tag is created dynamically by the first user.
 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, operating a tag market in association with the online networking environment,
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tag market enables the first user to sell a specific tag to: a third user of the social networking game, enabling the third user to add the specific tag to a tag repository associated with the third user.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the tag market enables the first user to sell a specific tag to: an operator of the online networking environment, enabling the operator to add the specific tag to a tag repository associated with the online networking environment.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user conveys the first tag as a gifted tag.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first user conveys the gifted tag as a traded tag in return for a particular tag stored in a tag repository associated with another user.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tag includes one or more of: a graphic image; an animated graphic image; an embedded audio media; an embedded video media; an embedded hyperlink; or an embedded executable application.
 19. A system, comprising: means for, establishing an online networking environment to enable a plurality of users to engage in an online networking activity; means for, providing, by a server, a user interface in the online networking environment to enable a first user of the networking activity to convey a tag to a second user, wherein, the tag includes embedded content.
 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the tag includes a graphic image.
 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the tag includes an animated graphic image.
 22. The system of claim 19, wherein the tag includes embedded audio media;
 23. The system of claim 19, wherein the tag includes embedded video media.
 24. The system of claim 19, wherein the tag includes an embedded hyperlink.
 25. The system of claim 19, wherein the tag includes an embedded executable application.
 26. The system of claim 19, further comprising, means for, depicting the tag in a tag library responsive to receiving a request from the user.
 27. The system of claim 19, wherein, tag includes tag options including a recipient list.
 28. The system of claim 19, wherein, tag includes tag parameters defined by the first user.
 29. A method for using a tag in an online networking environment, comprising: identifying a tag parameter associated the tag; wherein, the tag parameter indicates an association with a user; storing the tag in the online networking environment as being associated with the user for future use by the user.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag includes options for association with a recipient list or buddy list of the user.
 31. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag includes options for external distribution by the user.
 32. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag is depicted among a library of tags in a graphical user interface of the online networking environment and selected by the user from the library of tags.
 33. The method of claim 29, wherein, the library of tags includes tags that are predefined.
 34. The method of claim 29, wherein, the library of tags includes tags predefined by an operator of the online networking environment.
 35. The method of claim 29, wherein, the library of tags include tags customized by users in the online networking environment.
 36. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter is defined by a user.
 37. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter includes a name.
 38. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter includes a graphic icon.
 39. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter includes embedded content.
 40. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter includes a business card.
 41. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter includes additional tags.
 42. The method of claim 29, wherein, the tag parameter specifies a category.
 43. A method for managing a tag in an online networking environment, comprising: depicting, in a user interface, tags for a user to browse or select; wherein, the tags include tag parameters defined and stored as associated with the user; wherein, the user interface further enables the user to create customized tags; wherein, tag parameters associated with the customized tags are definable by the user.
 44. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags include options to be associated with a recipient list or a buddy list.
 45. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags indicate personal preferences or characteristics of the user.
 46. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags include an embedded photo.
 47. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags include an embedded song.
 48. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags include an expression of feelings.
 49. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags include executable instructions.
 50. The method of claim 43, wherein, the customized tags include a link to a profile page.
 51. A system for using a tag in an online networking environment, comprising: means for, identifying a tag parameter associated the tag; wherein, the tag parameter indicates an association with a user; means for, storing the tag in the online networking environment as being associated with the user for use by the user; wherein, the tag includes embedded content which includes an expression of feelings of the user.
 52. A method for using a tag in an online networking environment, comprising: means for, identifying a tag parameter associated the tag; wherein, the tag parameter indicates an association with a user; means for, storing the tag in the online networking environment as being associated with the user for use by the user; wherein, the tag includes executable instructions to see a photo, play a song, or to go to a profile page.
 53. The method of claim 52, wherein, the executable instructions are executable to play a movie or to chat. 